You Can't Keep It In...Nana Knows about Life and Death

How do we address the subject of death without frightening children? "You Can’t Keep it In" is written from a child’s perspective as she interacts with her adoring grandmother. Nana is a belching, dancing eccentric who answers scary questions with enlightenment and comfort. Nana assures young readers that although one’s body is no longer here, their spirit cannot be contained. Love is eternal.

B. Jane Lloyd, author of "You Can't Keep It In", had an inordinate fear of death as a child—not her own, but the people she loved who loved and protected her—parents, grandparents, etc. This phobia began at age 9 after a friend was killed while riding his bicycle. Seeing him in a casket at the funeral home was traumatic. Realizing that death could happen to anyone at any time was overwhelming.

Lloyd felt sick every morning and could not go to school, paralyzed with fear that her parents would die while she was gone. She did not know how to rid herself of this fear akin to panic. She couldn’t explain or describe these feelings to anyone. She hopes that "You Can't Keep It In" will help ease the fears of children who struggle with the concept of death as she did.

Lloyd is the adoring Nana of 7; however, the Nana character in "You Can’t Keep It In" is patterned after her Gram who lived down the street. Gram was one of her best friends as a child, always there to listen and understand. Gram taught Lloyd to belch---loud and long. This was in the 1950’s and ‘60’s when little girls were expected to be ladies with impeccable manners. Gram was more liberal and tolerant than most people at that time. The views learned at her kitchen table remain a huge influence in Lloyd’s life.